'Deaths due to malaria have reduced'

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss says the number of deaths due to malaria has reduced to 335 this year.

delhiUpdated: Aug 17, 2007 13:44 IST

PTI

Number of deaths due to malaria in the country has come down to 335 this year as opposed to 476 deaths last year, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

"Malaria is endemic in all the states, union territories of the country except Lakshadweep. However, the mortality has been reported from 13 states," he said in a written reply to a question.

He said 3,28,474 cases of malaria were reported up to July this year as against 3,68,282 in the same period last year.

Most of the deaths due to malaria took place in Assam where 140 out of the 43,192 affected persons died.

54 deaths took place in Meghalaya, 34 in Mizoram and 38 in West Bengal, he said.

"A total of 870 Chikungunya fever confirmed cases during 2007 (till August 12) have been reported from 12 states. A total of 2001 Chikungunya fever confirmed cases were reported from 16 states during 2006 (upto December)," he said.

No death has been reported due to Chikungunya fever in 2006 and 2007, he said.

He said 559 Chikungunya cases were reported from Kerala, 57 from Maharashtra, 54 from Karnataka and 43 from Orissa this year. 28 Chikungunya cases were reported from West Bengal and 18 from Delhi. The disease was also reported in Goa, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.